Central sensitization in spinal cord injured humans assessed by reflex receptive fields

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• 作者：Jos茅 Alberto Biurrun Manresa ; Nanna Susanne Brix Finnerup ; Inger Lauge Johannesen ; Fin Biering-S酶rensen ; Troels Staehelin Jensen ; Lars Arendt-Nielsen ; Ole K忙seler Andersen
• 关键词：Central sensitization ; Nociceptive withdrawal reflex ; Reflex receptive fields ; Descending control ; Spinal cord injury ; Capsaicin
• 刊名：Clinical Neurophysiology
• 出版年：February, 2014
• 年：2014
• 卷：125
• 期：2
• 页码：352-362
• 全文大小：2438 K

文摘

Objective

To investigate the effects of central sensitization, elicited by intramuscular injection of capsaicin, by comparing the reflex receptive fields (RRF) of spinally-intact volunteers and spinal cord injured volunteers that present presensitized spinal nociceptive mechanisms.

Methods

Fifteen volunteers with complete spinal cord injury (SCI) and fourteen non-injured (NI) volunteers participated in the experiment. Repeated electrical stimulation was applied on eight sites on the foot sole to elicit the nociceptive withdrawal reflex (NWR). RRF were assessed before, 1 min after and 60 min after an intramuscular injection of capsaicin in the foot sole in order to induce central sensitization.

Results

Both groups presented RRF expansion and lowered NWR thresholds immediately after capsaicin injection, reflected by the enlargement of RRF sensitivity areas and RRF probability areas. Moreover, the topography of the RRF sensitivity and probability areas were significantly different in SCI volunteers compared to NI volunteers in terms of size and shape.

Conclusions

SCI volunteers can develop central sensitization, despite adaptive/maladaptive changes in synaptic plasticity and lack of supraspinal control.

Significance

Protective plastic mechanisms may still be functional in SCI volunteers.